I missed James by a day, but interesting to see different takes on the subject. This one might be a long one, so buckle up and enjoy!
It was a beautiful sunny day on Thursday, but very windy. Most people even refused to open the windows in the Causeway hide because the wind was blowing straight in and it was so strong.
However, the sound of warblers was everywhere on the path to the estuary hides, but more of them later. The first things you noticed in Allen hide were the photographers aiming at the line of Spoonbills, although they weren't spooning, if that's the correct term for what Spoonbills do!
That was my first ever sighting of them. Excellent views of the gorgeous Avocets as well, like this one, apparently bemused by the drop of water balancing on that remarkable beak.
Or this one caught digging its own little scrape
And another giving their partner on the nest a quick prod
I've been promising a few shots of a Warbler to the Forum. At first, I thought those singing were Reed Warblers until I saw this in a tree.
A rather beautiful Sedge Warbler. Obviously I still need to learn the difference in song! With a bit of patience you could see one in almost every tree and at the end of the day, I went back for more!
In the estuary car park, a Cetti's could be heard in the corner. I even knew roughly which tree it was in as it continued to go off, but I still couldn't see the little blighter! I did eventually make it onto the reserve though where I found this Greylag doing a bit of twitcher watching and keeping a close eye on anyone who entered Tim Jackson hide.
The Greylags were also sporting down by Lower hide, enjoying a bath.
Doing a few exercises and looking a bit grumpy about it
And escorting the goslings, with this one making an early test of its wings.
It was one of the lucky ones, because on the far side, we'd just witnessed a Marsh Harrier take a more unfortunate one on the edge of the reed bed. The Harriers put in lots of appearances but at fairly long distance most of the time, so I spent more time watching than taking photos and never really got a decent shot. One did take us all by surprise, coming in unsighted and flying right over the hide - beautiful!
It seems I can't go to LM without taking a photo of those tame pheasants strutting their stuff and expecting mere people to get out of the way on the paths.
One of his harem of four has just crept into shot there.
Saw far more than I photographed and, sorry, forgot to include a Robin but other than that it was a beautiful, if blustery, day all round.
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